Sustainability Update

Zimride builds community

Friday, Jan. 13, 2012

In an effort to reduce carbon emissions and foster community relations, Santa Clara University recently launched a new ride sharing program called Zimride--a social networking site that allows students, faculty, and staff to post rides for carpooling to work, school, events, or holiday trips home. Zimride provides a university-wide platform for connecting people based on travel preferences, and is exclusive only to individuals with an @scu.edu email address.

Zimride is safe, voluntary, free, and easy to use. Josue De Paz, class of 2015, used Zimride to go home for the holidays and stated, "It gave me not only an easier, cheaper way of getting home but allowed me the opportunity to meet some fellow SCU students".

Additional benefits to ridesharing include the opportunity to meet new people as well as the ability to park on campus for free (as a registered carpool). For those concerned about safety, Zimride is currently exclusive to SCU users and also features a system of approval for both passengers and drivers, allowing users to comment on their past rides. When passengers log on, they are able to see multiple options of drivers satisfying their posted ride request. Users can select a ride with the driver they prefer. Similarly, drivers must approve people to ride with them. Comments by past riders, as well as an option to connect with users' Facebook profiles, allows for more transparency in carpool selection.

Already, many students and University employees have positive feelings toward the new rideshare program, "You feel safe because you're riding with people from your school," says Delia Cuellar '15 who used the program last quarter along with her friend Amanda Fields '15 who felt that it was "a good experience to make a couple new friends."

Carpooling is a great way to reduce emissions, car congestion, and parking difficulties. It brings the community together socially while saving time (yay carpool lane!), money and reducing impact on the environment.